The invention relates generally to high performance bandsaw blades and in particular, to those bandsaw blades which have variable height, pitch, and set.
A typical measure of bandsaw blade performance is the throughput in comparison to the price paid for the blade and/or the equipment needed for running it. Over the past two decades, many different approaches to high performance bandsaw blades, for example blades used in cutting stainless steel and the like, have been developed. One particular method employs a cammed back edge which provides a "surging" of the blade during cutting. The back edge in effect causes the blade to move relative to and into the metal being cut. Another approach provides for "surging" of the blade as the back edge of the blade varies to provide an undulating surface which causes the blade to oscillate about an imaginary pivot point centered between the rollers pressing on and guiding the back edge.
While these methods represent advances over blades used decades ago, they typically require either major readjustment of the bandsaw blade equipment, the use of entirely new equipment since the older equipment is not adaptable to the new blades, major and substantial additional costs in manufacturing the blades (the cost being absorbed as the performance of the blade increases), or blades which are highly specialized and are accordingly expensive to operate and use.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a high performance bandsaw blade operable with present equipment and manufactured using standard and available equipment, yet providing a performance price benefit which is comparable to or surpasses the surging blades previously described. Other objects of the invention are a high performance bandsaw blade which can be manufactured using existing equipment, and which has relatively low or no additional costs associated with the manufacturing process wherein the blade is used. Yet further objects of the invention are a reliable, simple to operate, simple to use, high performance, high speed bandsaw blade.